Split metal mold for packaging foods for freezing



Feb. 28, 1956 T. s. co| JR 2,736,277

SPLIT METAL MOLD FOR PACKAGING FOODS FOR FREEZING Filed July 6, 1951 JNVENTOR. weapons s. 001. gum

ATTORNEY United States Patent 01 SPLIT METAL MOLD FOR PACKAGING FOODS FOR FREEZING Theodore S. Cole, Jr., Madison, Conn.

Application July 6, 1951, Serial No. 235,513

3 Claims. (Cl. 107-19) The present invention relates to a split metal mold for packaging foods for freezing and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements of partsherein described and claimed.

Generally there is provided a split mold formed of a heat conducting metal, the principal parts of which are hinged together and provided with retaining latch means. The device is adapted to be utilized by placing the conventional polyethylene bag within the same in the same manner as when it is used with a conventional carton and then filling and sealing the same whereupon the bag and the mold may be placed within the refrigerator to freeze, after which the mold may be removed therefrom and used again. The purpose of the device is to provide a simple means for retaining the shape of the food containing bag. This is not possible under present practice wherein the cartons very often bulge or take distorted shapes due to the freezing and melting processes through which they must go. With the present device it is possible to maintain the bags in their proper form and to easily remove the same from the mold due to the fact that the mold is made of a metal which is preferably highly heat-conductive, it being understood that the cardboard containers conventionally used are eliminated in carrying out this invention.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a device of the character set forth which is simple in construction, easy to manufacture and yet effective and efficient in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel split mold for packaging foods for freezing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character set forth which is formed of highly heatconductive metal.

A further object of the invention is the provision of novel latching means forming a part of the invention.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the drawing, in which:

Figure l is a front elevational view of an embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive,

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 1,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the device shown in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, showing the same in opened condition,

Figure 7 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, of a modified form the invention may assume,

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of a still further form the invention may assume, and

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 8.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is shown therein a device of the character set forthcotnprising a body portion having a front wall 10, abottom 1 1 and a pair of side walls 12. A cover. 13 is provided at the rear of the device and has integrally formed. therewith a pair of forwardly extending ears 14 each ofwhicliis pivotally connected, as by a rivet 15 or the like,,to one ofthe side walls 12 which it embraces. Thememben 13 is also provided with relatively narrow side members.. 16 each of which is adapted to brace one of the walls 12.,

A latch member is provided and consists of the bight portion 17 and a pair of'integrallyformed legslS each of which is pivotally connected, as by rivets 19 or. thelike, to one of the members 16 adjacent the upperend thereof.

In the operation of this form of the invention, .it will be apparent that the device may be firstplacedina closed condition, as indicated, for example, in Figures 1. to. 3,.of the drawing, whereupon a bag of conventional. character of cellophane or like material maybe placed: within the main body, that is to say between the front wall 10, side walls 12 and bottom 11 after which the bag may be disposed therein in the same manner as when used with a carton and filled and sealed in the same manner. The entire device with the bag contained therein may then be placed in a freezing compartment for a sufiicient length of time to solidly freeze the contents after which the device may be removed from the refrigerator and the bag of now frozen food may be removed from the present invention and stored within the refrigerator until it is desired to use the same. Since the food bag and contents are thus frozen with this device holding it in its proper shape, it will be prevented from bulging during the freezing process. Also, it will be apparent that, since the device forming the present invention is formed of heat-conducting material, when the same is withdrawn from the refrigerator, heat will be quickly absorbed by the device to free the same from the package. It will also be apparent that bags formed of polyethylene and the like may be utilized over and over again.

In Figure 7, there is shown a modified form of the invention wherein two duplicate but reversed sections are provided and each consists of a pair of side walls 25 which are integrally interconnected by a front wall 26 and which are each provided with a bottom 27. The free edges of the bottom 27 are interconnected by means of a hinge 28.

In Figures 8 and 9, there is provided a pair of duplicate but reversed sections each having a front wall 36, a bottom 31 and a pair of integrally connected side walls 32. The free edges of the side walls 32 are each provided with integrally formed outstanding U-shaped trackways 33 and a U-shaped locking member 34 having inturned legs 35 is also provided.

The operation of the device shown in Figure 7 is thought to be obvious in view of the above given explanation with regard to the device shown in Figures 1 to 6, inclusive, with the exception that some fastening means may be provided about the device to maintain it in closed condition. In the device shown in Figures 8 and 9 the two sections are held together by sliding the members 34 downwardly to engage the inturned legs 35 within the trackways 33 to thus securely hold the two sections together.

While but three forms of the invention have been shown and described herein, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many minor modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A mold for retaining a food package in brick-like form during freezing having a sheet metal body part consisting of a front wall to cover one wide face of the package, parallel side walls extending the full thickness of the package and one end wall to extend entirely across the bottom of the package, said front, side and end Walls being joined along their corresponding edges; a sheet metal cover part hinged to the body part adjacent said bottom end wall and adapted to form the other Wide face of the package, said cover part being slightly wider and longer than the front wall of said body part so as to bear against the free edges of said side walls and said end wall when swung to closed position, said cover part having parallel side flanges directed toward said front wall so as to snugly embrace the side walls to prevent bulging of said side walls during freezing of the food package; and releasable latch means for holding the cover part in closed position against the body part without obstructing the open end of the mold.

2. A mold as defined in claim 1 wherein said cover part has ears extending from the side flanges, which ears are hingedly connected to the side walls of the body part.

3. A mold as defined in claim 1 wherein said latch means comprises a bail hinged to the side flanges of the cover part adjacent to the top or open end of the mold and adapted to embrace the upper end of said body part to hold the mold closed or to be moved free of the body part to allow the cover to be swung to open position.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Watkins Aug. 10, 1875 Sinclair Mar. 18, 1884 Burton Dec. 12, 1899 Miranda May 2, 1905 Blaul et a1. June 17, 1913 Westling Feb. 24, 1914 Mostizer July 13, 1915 Abel Apr. 27, 1920 Miller et al Dec. 25, 1928 Peyser et a1. Apr. 5, 1932 Miller July 15, 1932 Yeager Aug. 29, 1933 Birdseye Jan. 14, 1941 Cocks Apr. 22, 1941 Esterow et a1 June 29, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Norway May 30, 1916 

